DWI arrests down in recent crackdown

Published 5:02 pm, Tuesday, March 18, 2014

ALBANY — Thirteen motorists were arrested in Albany County last week during a crackdown on drinking and drugged driving, Sheriff Craig Apple said.

The enforcement, from March 13 to 18, which coincided with St. Patrick's Day, netted a lot fewer arrests than the similar period a year ago, when 31 were charged with DWI.

Among the vehicles stopped by police in the 13 different agencies, 52 designated drivers were found.

Apple said the results show people in Albany County "are listening to our message and making a conscious decision not to drink and drive."

The Saratoga County Sheriff's Office's enforcement campaign, from Friday afternoon through St. Patrick's Day, resulted in five DWI arrests (two of them aggravated DWI, or 0.18 percent blood alcohol content or more). Other charges included one for criminal possession of a controlled substance and 10 for suspended or revoked registrations.